Why does the world need bees?

The world of fauna and flora is shrinking every year. According to the authors of "The Global Ecosystem Assessment" report as many as one million animal and plant species are endangered today, and humans are largely responsible for that. In this context, our worst anxiety should be caused by the deteriorating condition of bees. The role of these small insects is much greater than it might seem.

Not just honey

Sometimes they are bothersome to us and to people allergic to their venom; sometimes even dangerous, but undoubtedly bees are one of the most useful species of insects. The honey we love to eat so much is just one of the reasons why bees have earned the status of farm animals. They also bring us other benefits: wax (for making candles; also used in footwear impregnation and cosmetics), propolis (a valued ingredient of many medications); as well as royal jelly (rich in vitamins and valuable elements supporting wound healing and treating impotence). In medicine, bee venom (apitoxin) is also used in treating rheumatism. However, it is worth noting that the therapy called apipuncture is only for people who are not allergic to the substances contained in it.

Bees, which must reach several million flowers to make 1 kg of honey, are for a reason regarded as a paradigm of diligence. The role that the products of these inconspicuous insects play in natural medicine is perfectly summarized by the German proverb: One beehive can take away the work of ten doctors. Don't we get a lot from our little, buzzing friends?

Our to bee or not to bee...

However, there is much more at stake here. Without honey, propolis or wax, we could still survive (although it would be a big loss). The situation is more dramatic, though. The extinction of bees would trigger a chain reaction that would lead to an unimaginable catastrophe. Without these hardworking insects flowers would not be pollinated and plants would stop breeding. Lack of plants means hunger in the animal world. The consequences for us - people - are easy to predict.

According to Albert Einstein, humanity can survive only four years without bees. Scientists today tell us about a decade. Although they give us a bit more time, we cannot be too optimistic about it.

Wait a moment, someone will say that these catastrophic visions are exaggerated, because the world of flora also includes species that reproduce without the help of bees. It is true. They do, but they constitute only 10-20% of the total. It may be too little to bear the burden of feeding the inhabitants of our planet.

A horror movie that's coming true

The theme of dying bees is a great material for a catastrophic scenario. Something like a butterfly effect, which seemingly brings disproportionately serious consequences with it. Unfortunately, recently you can get the impression that this scenario is becoming real, not on the set but in real life. Information on the mass extermination of bees is flowing from various corners of the world: from China through the United States to Poland. What's worse, everything happens very quickly. Within just 5 years apiaries in European Union countries lost about 15% of bees. Even more terrifying data comes to us from overseas and from the Middle Kingdom.

Why are bees dying?

What triggered this dangerous trend? There are different theories. Today specialists have about ten hypotheses. It is most often believed that the extinction of bees is linked to pesticides widely used in agriculture. Sugar is supposed to be especially harmful to bees, but still we feed these beneficial insects with it whilst we steal their own food. Sugar beets, from which those white crystals are formed, are treated with chemical agents. It is quite often heard that insects are harmed by genetically modified plants. Disorders can also be associated with the characteristics of the crop. When we try to replace ecological diversity with monoculture and plant only one type of crop, the result is a poorer diet that bees are provided with. Added to this are diseases that are not just a product of modern civilization, because they have been present for a long time.

CCD, or the great escape of worker bees

Some associate the extinction of bees with the development of mobile telephony. According to one theory the operation of transmitters can be the cause of the CCD syndrome - a phenomenon that has been ravaging apiaries for over a dozen years. Worker bees inexplicably quit their hives, leaving the queen bee and her offspring there. There are suspicions that insects are becoming confused, and phone waves are responsible for this. According to a competing hypothesis, the substances used in agriculture (neonicotinoids) are responsible for this state of affairs. The CCD problem is compounding year by year. There are apiaries in the USA where 90% of the bee population has died due to this malady.

Are bees irreplaceable?

We need bees, but cannot they be replaced? There are places in China where these beneficial insects have not been seen for years. Plants receive help from specially trained workers who use small brushes to pollinate flowers. This work is certainly not light, and its effect is a far cry from that guaranteed by bees. To replace only one insect, you need as many as ... a thousand people! Although for us it sounds like an absurd joke, the job of a "pollinator" is becoming a very popular occupation. What's more, it may soon turn out that we will need to effectively protect our bees, as this is the only way for us to guarantee sustained provision of fruit and vegetables. Such a scenario would mean the beginning of the end of the human species.